MFP Charging Table for Offline Fee Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional MFP charging systems face issues with unreliable fee calculation and delayed responses due to network connectivity problems and the need for frequent software updates, making it difficult for users to accurately estimate charges before job execution.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a communication terminal and a processing apparatus to acquire and specify a charging method based on identification information, allowing for reliable and efficient calculation of job charges through NFC communication, enabling users to determine charges before job execution even when the MFP is in a power-off or power-saving state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a charging server is installed on a network to calculate fees for print jobs, then the charging system can provide centralized fee management, but the system becomes vulnerable to network connectivity issues and server access failures that delay or prevent fee calculation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a charging table as an intermediary data structure that stores fee calculation rules locally in the MFP. This charging table acts as a mediator between the centralized charging server and the local job execution, allowing the MFP to calculate fees independently using pre-downloaded charging rules without requiring real-time network connectivity to the server.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by downloading and storing charging tables in the MFP before they are needed for fee calculation. The charging table contains pre-configured fee structures and rules that are acquired in advance from the charging server, enabling the MFP to perform fee calculations offline without waiting for server responses during job execution.
2Loss of information
If estimation software is downloaded to estimate charges before job execution, then users can know fees in advance, but the system requires frequent software updates and network access that may not always be available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating local copies of the charging table data structure within the MFP. Instead of requiring the MFP to connect to the server during each fee estimation, the charging rules are copied to local storage and reused multiple times until an update is needed, eliminating the need for frequent software updates and network access.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the MFP requires network connection to calculate charging fees, then centralized fee management is maintained, but the MFP cannot provide fee estimation when in power-off or power-saving state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the MFP to autonomously calculate charging fees using the locally stored charging table. The MFP does not need to contact the external charging server during fee calculation, allowing it to provide accurate fee estimates even when in power-off or power-saving states where network connectivity is unavailable.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus stores, in a storage unit, a plurality of charging tables for calculating a charging amount in execution of a job. A communication terminal acquires a charging table from the storage unit based on identification information for identifying a communication terminal, and calculates, based on the acquired charging table, a charging amount for a job to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus. The calculated charging amount is displayed.